Vending machine with hydraulic actuating mechanism



May 26, 1964 s. TREMOLADA 3,134,473

VENDING MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

AGENT GOF F RE DO TREMOLADA May 26, 1964 G. TREMOLADA 3,134,473

VENDING MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

GOFFREDO TREMOLADA INVENTOR.

AGENT May 26, 1964 TREMOLADA 3,134,473

VENDING MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 GOFFREDO TREMOLADA INVENTOR.

AGENT VENDING MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM May 26, 1964 G. TREMOLADA Filed Oct. 5, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 26, ,1964 e. TREMOLADA VENDING MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 3, 1960 GOFFREDO TREMOLADA INVENTOR.

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up in on. M r mm/r .rfl/ m1 IIIIIIIY 6 mmv May 26, 1964 cs. TREMOLADA VENDING MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 om; g5: flw -m n m W a X a .3 F l l l I I III. $7 zotaimonw 50.50 mm. wanwmwamioi m M 0O. MT T E N RE E VM N A OI. m D D R r. F O G J L 10.55am a .rzmmao zsd This invention relates to an automatic vending machine for articles or" ditierent type which is operated by the introduction of a coin or a token and is provided with a selecting device to allow, by the operation of a corresponding pushbutton or handle, the dispensing of the desired article.

More particularly the invention relates to a vending machine having a central hydraulic control system adapted to operate the various dispensing devices independently upon the actuation of the corresponding selector members.

'Conventional vending machines, used for the distribution of identical or diversified articles, have discharging devices which are operated by means of mechanical transmission elements such as gears and chains. These known machines are particularly liable to failures (such as binding and seizing) of the various dispensing elements as the mechanism becomes worn in prolonged use.

These disadvantages are entirely eliminated in an automatic vending machine which, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a hydraulic dispensing control. The latter advantageously includes a hydraulic distributor to which a fluid (generally oil) under pressure is fed from a reservoir in a closed cycle which includes a plurality of pairs of conduits for reversibly admitting the fluid to respective hydraulic cylinders under the control of valve means responsive to the several selector members.

The valve means may advantageously consist of a solenoid-actuated slide valve for each of the storage compartments or magazines of the vending machine. The pistons effect a reciprocating rectilinear movement of respective sliders, located at the bottom of each magazine, whose displacement successively dispenses the articles contained in the compartments.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the central distributor feeds the cylinders with oil or other fluid under pressure in such a way that only one cylinder at a time may be actuated to shift the piston and, therefore, the corresponding slider while the remaining pistons of the other cylinders are held inactive. The operated cylinder may correspond to a particular selector member actuated after the introduction of the coin or token, or several cylinders may form a group controlled by one selector for successive operation as the corresponding compartments become exhausted.

The invention also contemplates the utilization of a single driving element connected to one end only of a respective slider, the latter being advantageously guided in its reciprocating movement by a sliding sleeve adapted to insure proper alignment.

According to yet another feature of the present invention the framing members which constitute the various compartments or magazines are adjustable in two mutually perpendicular directions in order to accommodate articles of difierent s'mes.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine according to the invention with the front cover thereof removed;

ted States Patent FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the machine, partly diagrammatic and drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is an axial cross-sectional view of the hydraulic distributor of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the distributor taken along line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the distributor taken along line V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a hydraulic circuit for the machine showing only one piston; and

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the electric control sys tem for the machine illustrated in FlGS. 1-6.

The automatic vending machine about to be described is particularly suitable for the distribution of different beverages contained in cylindrical bottles B B B B and B The machine comprises a closed body 1 the upper section of which is divided into various compartments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 by vertical guides '7, 7 (FIG. 2) carried upon rails MP7. The width of the compartments 2 to 6 can be increased or reduced by adjusting the horizontally shiftable rails 10? on the suitably slotted supporting beams 11, 11 while the depth of the compartments may .be varied by displacing the guides 7, 7 along the rails 197. Each compartment contains bottles of one particular kind of drink. In the lower section of the body 1 are mounted a pump 36 driven by a motor 136, a central distributor 8 (not visible in FIG. 1), a fluid reservoir 35 and the radiator assembly of a cooling unit 99 whose other parts are located in an intermediate section of body 1. along with a chute 9 for conveying the bottles B to B from the various compartments towards a common outlet opening at the front of the machine.

As can be seen from the drawing, the width of each vertical compartment 2 to 6 is slightly less than twice the diameter of one bottle, so that the bottles contained in the compartment are pil d in twoicolumns and are relatively offset in such a way that only one bottle in each compartment, i.e. the one nearest the outlet opening, needs to be supported to insure that none of the other bottles in either column can drop down and leave the compartment.

The bottom of each compartment is provided (FIG. 2) with a slidable transverse arm 16 on which the lowermost bottle rests, the axis of the arm being parallel to the axes of the bottles and lying normally in the vertical axial plane of the lowermost bottle. The arm 10 is reciprocable, in a direction transverse to its axis, from right to left and from left to right while remaining parallel to the axes of the bottles so that its own axis alternately be comes co-planar with the axes of the bottles of each of the two columns. The arm it is provided upon its opposite extremities with a ball-bearing-supported caster 13 and a sleeve 14 which are respectively displaceable along the beam 11 and a horizontal rod 12 parallel thereto. 4

' The caster 13 rides upon the beam 11 while the sleeve 14 engages the guide rod 12 to keep the arm 10, which is rigidlysecured to sleeve 14, perfectly aligned duringthe lateral movement.

An extension 15 of the arm 1% is connected to the rod of a piston 16 slidably received in a double-acting cylinder 17. The piston is? is displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of arm 10 and thus reciprocates the latter.

Each hydraulic cylinder 17, associated with a respective compartment 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, is connected by means of a pair of pipes 22, 23 to the central distributor 8 (FIGS. 2 to 6) through respective solenoid valves generally designated 25 in FIGS. 3 and 6 but shown separately at 25 25 25 25 25 in FIG. 4. The distributor 8 comprises -a master relay 41.

"aflat-bottomed annular chamber 27 on which there are radially disposed, symmetrically about the channeled stem 8' of the distributor, the five radially displaceable slide valves 25 etc. controlled by respective solenoids generally designated 26 (but shown in FIG. 4 at 26 26 26 26 26 and by restoring springs '30. These springs are adapted to return the corresponding slide of. the chamber 27.

On the flat bottom 27a of the distributor chamber 27, under each slide valve 25, there is a set of three aligned ports 31, 32, 33, the two outer ports 31 and 33 being in communication with the two pipes 22, 23 of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder 17 while the central port 32 is in communication, via a compartment 27b of distributor 8 and a bore 8" of its stem 8, with the discharge pipe 34 which is connected with the reservoir 35 (FIGS. 1 and 6). The high-pressure pipe 36 establishes communication between the delivery side of the safety-valveequipped pump 36' (the conventional safety valve is indicated schematically at 153 in FIG. 7) and a channel 8" of stem '8 leading to the chamber 27 oi: the distributor 8, while the low-pressure pipe 37 extends from the intake side of the pump 36' to reservoir 35. a

The front of the automatic vending machine is provided with a conventional slot guide (not shown) for the introduction and passage of. a coin or token. The

valves to their initial position of closure near the center coin or token, during its passage in the slot, momen-,

tarily operates a switch 40 (FIG. 7) which energizes The vending machine is provided with several control and selector elements such as push- 7 buttons indicated, in the electrical circuit of FIG. 7, at 43 and 43, each of these selector members being individual i to a group of compartments as hereinafter described.

oil under pressure delivered by the pump 36' via pipe 36 flows from chamber 27 through the uncovered inner port 31 and left-hand pipe 22 to shift the piston 16 of cylinder 17 from left to right (as viewed in FIG. 2),

while fluid on the opposite side of the piston is discharged through the right-hand pipe 23, outer port 33,

slide valve 25, central port 32 and pipe 34 into the reservoir 35. When the solenoid 26 is de-energized the slide valve 25, owing to the action of the spring 30 (FIG.

- 3), returns to its initial position near the center of the chamber 27 and establishes communication between the left-hand pipe 22 and the discharge pipe 34. The piston 16 is now in position to be shifted from right to left (FIG. 2) if in a succeeding cycle the central chamber 27 is provided with a fresh stream of oil under pressure and if, concurrently, the solenoid 26 has not been excited. If in the succeeding cycle fresh oil under pressure -is delivered to the chamber 27 and if, at the same time, the solenoid 26 is energized, the piston will not be displaced because the pressure will tend to push it further in the previous direction, that is, from left to right.

.40 and the winding of relay 41 are connected in series across bus bars 46, 47 respectively connected to the main conductors L and L Each pushbutton 43 and 43' is included in the circult of a respective control relay 48 or 48' which is provided with a plurality of armatures 49, 50, 51 or 49', 50' 51', the armatures 50 and 50' being designed to close an associated pair of switching contacts 52 or 52' 'if open and to open them if closed when the corresponding relay is operated by the closure of the respective pushbutton 43 or 43'. This actuation of contacts 52 and 52' may be brought about by any suitable mechanical coupling thereof with the armatures 50 and 50, e.g. by

a cam stepped via a conventional paWl-and-ratchet drive. Closure of the switching contacts 52, for example,

causes the energization of the solenoid 26 of the slide valve corresponding to the depressed pushbutton. The reversal of armature 49 simultaneously starts the 'motor 136 of pump 36 whose pressure-responsive safety cutout 153 is serially connected in a holding circuit for motor 136. The latter is of a type having a common lead connected to one side of the power line so that it operates when energized via either of two leads by the respective switch means associated therewith, these switch means being connected to the other side of the power line.

When a coin is inserted into the slot of the machine, the operation of the switch 40 energizes the relay 41 which locks over the back contacts of armatures 51, 51 and supplies current to the pushbuttons 43, 43'. mentary depressing of the pushbutton 43, for example, energizes the relay 48, opens the holding circuit of relay 41 atarmature 51 and cuts otf the current, to'the other pushbutton 43; armature 49 is reversed to start the motor 136 which is maintained operated, independently of pushbutton 43, through valve contacts 153 as long as the relay 48 continues energized. The depressing of tons 43, 43' etc. and control relays 48, 48 etc. as there r are compartments for the storage of articles in the machine, there has been shown in the drawing a simplified arrangement in which the five solenoids 26 to 26 respectively associated with the compartments 2 to 6, are controlled from just the two relays 48 and 48'. Contacts 52 of relay 48 are connected in series with the parallelconnected windings of three solenoids 26 26 26 for compartments 2, 3 and 4 which, it will be assumed, all contain bottles with the same kind of drink; similarly, contacts 52' of relay 48' are connected to the windings of the two remaining solenoids 26 26 which control the dispensing of another type of beverage from the compartments 5 and 6. The connection from the solenoid 'windings to bus bar 47 (contacts 52 and 52' being connectable to bus bar 46 via the associated armatures 50 and 50) serially includes respective circuit breakers 154 154 154 154 154 which are normally held closed by the lowermost bottle in the associated storage compa'rtment. The first three of these circuit breakers, which together with the corresponding solenoids form a selector unit 126, are connected in a lockout circuit so that, beginning with solenoid 26 the three solenoids of that unit will be successively switched into the load circuit of relay 48 as the compartments 2 and 3 become exhausted; when the last bottle is drawn from compartment 4, circuit breaker 154 reverses in series with breakers 154 154 to cut out the last of these solenoids and to energize an indicator lamp 152 in an obvious circuit. In

like manner the solenoids 26 26 of the other selector unit 126 operate in consecutive sequences under the control of associated circuit breakers 154 and 154 an indicator lamp 152, being lit by these breakers when both compartments 5 and 6 are empty. A switch 254, ganged with circuit breaker 154 energizes via breaker contacts 154 and 154 an electromagnet 250 which may serve, for example, to block further operation of the machine by obstructing its coin slot.

It will be noted that the pairs of switching contacts 52,

52 are interconnected by a lead 521 so that actuation of.

The mosay, the relay 48 will result in the energization of one of the solenoids 26 26 26 and/ or one of the solenoids 26 26 i1" contacts 52, previously open, are closed by the operation of that relay and/or if contacts 52' are closed, their position being unaflected by the actuation of relay 48. This insures that any previously energized solenoid associated with the unoperated relay, here relay 48', is promptly re-energized to return its valve 25 to the posi tion it occupied in the preceding cycle, against the force of their restoring springs 30 which in the open-circuit condition of the system always maintain all the solenoids in their normal positions illustrated in FIG. 3, so that the associated pistons 16 will not be shifted. Thus, since only the contacts 52 reverse upon the operation of relay 43, only a solenoid of unit 126 will be rendered eliective (i.e. switched from energized to de-energized condition or vice versa) to reverse the pressure acting upon its piston 16 and to shift the associated slider 19 (FIG. 2) in one sense or the other to release a bottle from either column of its compartment. When the piston 16 has reached the end of its stroke, pressure builds up in pump 36 until the contacts of cutout 153 open to stop the motor 136. The system then returns to its quiescent state.

I claim:

1. In a vending machine having a plurality of compartments for the storage, in two interleaved vertical columns, of articles to be individually dispensed, in combination, a reciprocable element at each of said compartments adapted by its displacement to discharge a single article therefrom, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, a plurality of double-acting pistons respectively received in said cylinders and linked each with one of said elements, a pair of conduits for each of said cylinders respectively connected thereto at opposite ends, a source of fluid under pressure, a plurality of valves each having two operating positions for admitting fluid from said source to either conduit of a respe tive pair, reversible control means for each of said valves adapted to displace the same between said operating positions, and energizing means for said control means selectively operable for alternately displacing each of said values in opposite directions between said operating positions, thereby correspondingly reciprocating the respective pistons, and displacing a respective element from engagement with the lowermost article in the respective compartment arrayed in one of said columns thereof into engagement with the lowermost article of the other column.

2. In a vending machine having a plurality of compartments for the storage of articles to be individually dispensed, in combination, a reciprocable element at each of said compartments adapted by its displacement to discharge a single article therefrom, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, a plurality of double-acting pistons respectively received in said cylinders and linked each with one of said elements, a pair of conduits for each or" said cylinders respectively connected thereto at opposite ends, a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, distributor means for said fluid having said pairs of conduits connected thereto, pump means for said fluid, a hydraulic circuit interconnecting said reservoir, said pump means and said distributor means, said distributor means comprising a plurality of independent valves each associated with a respective pair of said conduits and selectively operable for reversibly admitting fluid under pressure from said pump means and returning fluid to said reservoir by way of the associated pair of conduits whereby the piston in the cylinder connected to said associated pair is shifted in either of two directions upon a displacement of the corresponding valve into a first and into a second position respectively, and electric control means for alternately displacing a selected valve between said positions in successive operating cycles, each of said compartments being adapted to store said articles in two interleaved vertical columns, said reciprocable element of each compartment being positioned at the bottom thereof for releasably support ng the momentarily lower one of the lowermost articles of said columns whereby the article so supported is discharged from the respective compartment and all other articles therein drop down one step upon each unilateral displacement of said element.

3. The combination according to claim 2, further comprising coin-actuated switch means and circuit means connected to said switch means and to said control means for operating the latter for one cycle upon each actuation of said switch means.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said control means comprises a plurality of relays and a plurailty of selector members connected in a preference circuit for operating a selected single one of said relays upon each actuation of said switch means in an oilnormal position of a corresponding selector member.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein each of said relays is provided with a pair of siwtching contacts adapted to be alternately closed and opened in successive operations of the relay, said control means further including an individual actuator for each of said valves with an energizing circuit including the pair of switching contacts of one of said relays.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said actuator comprises a solenoid energizable over said switching contacts for displacing the associated valve into its first position, and spring means for restoring the valve to its second position upon de-energization of said solenoid, each of said relays including normally open contacts connected in parallel with the normally open contacts of the other relays and to all pairs of switching contacts for completing the energizing circuit of all actuators with closed switching contacts upon the operation of any of said relays.

7. The combination according to claim 5 wherein a plurality of said actuators are provided with a common energizing circuit includ-ing'a single pair of said contacts, and switchover means in said common circuit controlled by the articles in one of said compartments for preferentially operating the associated actuator until the articles therein are exhausted and for thereupon rendering effective another actuator sharing said common circuit.

8. In a vending machine having a plurality of compartments for the storage of articles to be individually dispensed, in combination, a reciprocable element at each of said compartments adapted by its displacement to discharge a single article therefrom, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, a plurality of pistons respectively received in said cylinders and linked each with one of said elements, a pair of conduits for each of said cylinders respectively connected thereto at opposite ends, a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, distributor means for said fluid having said pairs of conduits connected thereto, pump means for said fluid, a hydraulic circuit interconnecting said reservoir, said pump means and said distributor means, said distributor means comprising a plurality of independent valves each associated with a respective pair of said conduits and selectively operable for reversibly admitting fluid under pressure from said pump means and returning fluid to said reservoir by way of the associated pair of conduits whereby the piston in the cylinder connected to said associated pair is shifted in either of two directions upon a displacement or" the corresponding valve into a first and into a second position respectively, and electric control means for alternately displacing a selected valve between said positions in successive operating cycles, said pump means being provided with a motor and with a pressure-responsive switch connected to deenergize said motor upon attainment of a predetermined fluid pressure following displacement of each piston to a terminal position, said motor having an operating circuit including said pressure-responsive switch and adapted to be closed by said control means at the beginning of each cycle.

9. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said compartments, a plurality of double-acting pistons re-' spectively received in said cylinders and linked each with one of said elements, a source of fluid under pressure, transmission means connecting said source with said cylinders, central hydraulic control means in said transmission means for directing the flow of fluid from said source selectively to said cylinders, and selector means for operating said central hydraulic control means to displace selected ones of said pistons, thereby individually releasing articles from the compartments associated with said selected ones of said pistons.

11. In a vending machine having a plurality of compartments each provided with guide means for receiving two columns of articles in staggered relationship, in combination, a reciprocable element positionedat the bottom of each compartment and adapted by its displacement to discharge'a single article thereirom, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders each respectively assigned to one of said compartments, a plurality of double-acting pistons respectively received in said cylinders and linked with respective elements, a source of fluid under pressure, a pair of conduits for each of said cylinders respectively con- 12. In a vending machine having a plurality of compartmentseach provided with guide means for receiving two columns of articles in staggered relationship, in combination, a reciprocable element positioned at the bottom or" each'compartment and adapted by its displacement to discharge a single article therefrom; a plurality of hydraulic cylinders each respectively assigned to one of said compartments; a plurality of double-acting pistons respectively received in said cylinders and linked each with one of said elements; a pair of conduits for each of said cylinders respectively connected thereto at opposite ends; a reservoir for hydraulic fluid; a .central multiple distributing valve having all of said pairs of conduits connected thereto; pump means for supplying said valve with said fluid; a hydraulic circuit interconnecting said reservoir, said pump means and said central distributing valve; said distributing valve comprising a first chamber in communication with the outlet of said pump means, a second chamber in communication with said reservoir, and a plurality of slide valves each associated with a respective .pair of said conduits and disposed symmetrically about a common axis of said distributing valve and shiftable between two extreme positions to establish communication between a respective pair of conduits alternatively with said first chamber and said-second chamber; and electric control means for alternately displacing a selected one of said slide valves between said positions in successive operating cycles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,700,277 Baker Jan. 29, 1929 1,817,387 McCrery Aug. 4, 1931 2,438,503 Holt Mar. 30, 1948 2,479,396 Nelson Aug. 16, 1949 2,563,654 Mackin et a1 Aug. 7, 1951 2,585,011 Johnson Feb. 12, '1952 2,814,417 Johnson Nov. 26, 1957 2,825,488 Nelson Mar. 4, 1958 2,878,961 Voorhees et a1. Mar. 24, 1959 2,956,661 Radclifle Oct. 18, 1960 

1. IN A VENDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS FOR THE STORAGE, IN TWO INTERLEAVED VERTICAL COLUMNS, OF ARTICLES TO BE INDIVIDUALLY DISPENSED, IN COMBINATION, A RECIPROCABLE ELEMENT AT EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS ADAPTED BY ITS DISPLACEMENT TO DISCHARGE A SINGLE ARTICLE THEREFROM, A PLURALITY OF HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS, A PLURALITY OF DOUBLE-ACTING PISTONS RESPECTIVELY RECEIVED IN SAID CYLINDERS AND LINKED EACH WITH ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS, A PAIR OF CONDUITS FOR EACH OF SAID CYLINDERS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED THERETO AT OPPOSITE ENDS, A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, A PLURALITY OF VALVES EACH HAVING TWO OPERATING POSITIONS FOR ADMITTING FLUID FROM SAID SOURCE TO EITHER CONDUIT OF A RESPECTIVE PAIR, REVERSIBLE CONTROL MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID VALVES ADAPTED TO DISPLACE THE SAME BETWEEN SAID OPERATING POSITIONS, AND ENERGIZING MEANS FOR SAID CONTROL MEANS SELECTIVELY OPERABLE FOR ALTERNATELY DISPLACING EACH OF SAID VALUES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS BETWEEN SAID OPERATING POSITIONS, THEREBY CORRESPONDINGLY RECIPRO- 